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   Rich·ter scale

   /ˈriktər ˌskāl/

   noun

   • 1. a numerical scale for expressing the magnitude of an earthquake on the basis of seismograph oscillations. The more destructive earthquakes typically have magnitudes between about 5.5 and 8.9; the scale is logarithmic and a difference of one represents an approximate thirtyfold difference in magnitude.

   Word Origin 1930s: named after Charles F. Richter (1900–85), American geologist.

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